Carik carik Bulu Ayam

 

Sahabat-sahabat yang dikasihi sekelian. 

Remember back in the days when we could insult each other and everyone knew it was a joke and laughed? When we used to fight on the field during games and still sat huddled together di dewan makan at dinner time? 

Life was simple back then. So our friendship survived and blossomed. 

We moved on to universities, became professionals, and got fat paycheques. And became more wise. Or so we thought. 

Look at us now. 

All grey haired and wrinkled, already in the sunset of our lives, and squabbling?

Let us embrace the simple ways of our teenage years, my firends. 

Do not take things too seriously. Instead, make the most and enjoy the last few years of our friendship and nurture further our silaturrahim. Saling ingat mengingati ke arah kebaikan, mendekatkan diri denganNya. 

Let us celebrate our togetherness and long, long friendship. After almost fifty years of camaraderie, surely it would be a big loss to spend the last few years on a sour note?

We have to respect our differences. But what’s most important is to cherish our similarities, common interests and wonderful years of being together. 

For we are The Thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds. 

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Time Flies, My Friends

by: Azizi Ahmad Termizi

      16 March 2021

Pejam celik, pejam celik batch kita from Thoroughbred 74-78 dah masuk our last active working age as we, one by one, turn 60. In fact, some dah retired pun, like Nor Shah, for instance. 

They say that time flies, but memories last forever. It feels like not too long ago that we were having dinner together kat dewan makan, chomping hard on the daging plastik. Or mandi ayaq kikih ramai-ramai early in the morning to prepare to go to class. 

And, oh how we enjoyed the classes. Playful backbenchers always in action kat belakang. We'd make fun of our teachers no end. Took turns cuci blackboards to prepare for the next class. And how chatted away noisily whilst waiting for our teacher to come to class. 

Despite ending up in universities upon leaving Bohoq Pulai, I think school life taught us the most. Barely adolescent, and leaving behind the comfort of home for the first time, it taught us about true friendship, loyalty, struggles, hardship, independence, and for some even love and the heartaches that goes with it. 

Thinking of schooldays will always make me feel happy and bring a sense of longing. InsyaAllah, memories of those years - 40 plus years ago, now - will last forever. Especially when friends from those days are still around to share and reminisce with us from time to time. 

So, alhamdulillah for all the friends that we’ve made and kept to this very day. To friends from varied places: Lundu to Kampar, Bagan Serai to Kola perlis, Arau, Mata Ayer, Beseri, Santan and Jejawi, apa kabar semua? And thank you so much for the friendship and camaraderie. 

But let’s not forget also our dear old friends who have passed on. Al Fatihah buat arwah Budin, Tapa, Ahmad Akhyar, Halim Hashim,  Usop, Chot Mashor, Bekri, Azli, Rosli, Dr Surizah, Zainah and Jamaludin Darus. Semoga Allah swt menempatkan mereka di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman. 

Meanwhile, as the saying goes, age is just a number. So don’t act your age too much. Act like the young person that we were all once before. Full of energy, brimming with confidence, but with that bit more mellowness, wisdom, and loads of grey hair of course (for those yang masih ada rambut la). 

Now, this is more of a reminder for myself actually. After all the years of focusing on career, it is surely time to give back to the society, dan mencari keredhaan Allah swt. For ultimately, what matters most is that hidup kita di zaman “6 series” ini akan sentiasa diberkati Allah swt. Aamiin.